Morley was a big fan of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, participating in one of the detective's early fan clubs. He edited two editions of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 1937 (11th) and 1948 (12th.) His 1939 novel Kitty Foyle was a bit advanced for its time on the racy side. It sold over one million copies, an instant best-seller.